Slip resistant grip for handles of golf clubs



p 1964 L. R. SULLIVAN, JR 3, 7, V v I SLIP RESISTANT GRIP FOR HANDLES OF QLF CLUBS Filed Nov. 14. 1961 INVENTOR. LAWRENCE R. SULLIVAN JR AT ToRNEYS United States Patent 3,147,012 SLIP RESISTANT GRIP FOR HANDLES 0F GOLF CLUBS Lawrence R. Sullivan, Jr., 16 Garden Road, Wellesley "Hills, Mass, assignor of one-third to Louis F. Muccino, Rye, N.Y., and one-third to Robert C. Laurelli, Provideuce, R1. I

Filed Nov. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 152,360 (Ilaims. (Cl. 273-165) This invention relates to a grip for handles.

In many sports in which an implement such as a club, a racquet or a bat is used, it is frequently found that in rainy weather, or in hot weather when the hands perspire, it is difiicult to obtain a firm grasp on the handle of the implement.

For example, golf clubs, as commonly manufactured and sold, comprise a shaft, a club head mounted on one end of the shaft, and a handle mounted on the other end of the shaft. The handle frequently includes leather or plastic material wound spirally around the end of the shaft.

In rainy weather, or in hot weather when the hands perspire, golfers frequently find that the club handle becomes slippery, and that it becomes difficult to prevent the handle from slipping in the hands. In order to overcome this difliculty, golfers frequently wrap the handle with a piece of cloth such as a handkerchief in order to obtain a firmer grasp on the handle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a slip resistant grip which may be fitted over a handle when occasion arises to assist the player in obtaining a firm grasp on the handle, even though wet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the grip as placed on a handle ready for use.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the lower end of the grip.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of grip.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the upper band of FIG. 3, partly broken away.

According to the present invention the grip is formed from a piece of textile fabric of a length preferably somewhat less than the length of a conventional golf club handle and of a Width considerably greater than the circumference of the handle on which it is to be used. The fabric may be made of any desired type of fibers, either natural of synthetic, as for example, cotton, wool, silk, rayon or nylon, and may be formed in any desired manner, i.e. woven or knitted. However, I prefer to use a woven cotton fabric for maximum protection against slipping.

The fabric is formed into a tube and near the top and bottom edges of the tube, the fabric is narrowed to form top and bottom circular bands which, when the grip is placed on a handle, encircle the handle snugly and engage the handle to hold the grip in the desired position. For example, the top and bottom edges may be gathered, as by pleating, to form the top and bottom circular bands. The top and bottom circular bands may be attached to elastic bands formed of any suitable elastic material such as elastic tape, so that they may yieldingly engage the handle. Or the top and bottom circular bands may be attached to strips of inelastic material such as woven textile fabric, in which case the ends of the inelastic strips may be provided with suitable fastener elements such as snap fasteners. If desired, the top circular band may be 3,147,912 Patented Sept. 1, 1964 "ice closed at the top in order to form a cap to fit over the end of the handle. In such cases, the cap may, if desired, be formed from material such as a plastic or metal with the top circular band of the fabric secured to the depending skirt of the cap.

The fabric between the top and bottom circular bands forms a blousy tube. The side edges of the fabric may be stitched together, or they may simply be hemmed and not stitched together. In either event, since the circumference of the tube is considerably greater than the circumference of the circular bands and of the handle, the fabric of the tube is loose nad blousy, and when the grip is placed on the handle and the handle is grasped, the fabric forms loose folds or wrinkles which form a rough surface which resists slipping.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGS. 1 and 2 the grip comprises a piece of textile fabric 1, the upper edge of which is gathered into pleats 2 to form a top circular band which may be secured in any desired manner to the depending skirt 3 of the plastic or metal cap 4. The lower edge of the fabric 1 is also gathered into pleats 5 to form a bottom circular band which may be secured in any desired manner to a strip 6 of textile fabric. Stud and socket members 7 and 8 of a snap fastener are mounted on the strip, as shown. The interior of the cap 4 is dimensioned to fit snugly over the end of a handle such as a golf club handle 9. The distance between the snap fastener members 7 and 8 is dimensioned to fit snugly around the lower portion of the handle as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fabric 1 takes the form of a tube, and the side edges of the fabric may be stitched together except close to the bottom band where the edges are left free to provide a short vent 10 to permit easy manipulation of the snap fastener, and easy removal of the grip from the handle. In view of the fact that the width of the fabric 1 is considerably greater than the circumference of the top and bottom circular bands, preferably at least twice as great, the fabric tube tends to form itself into loose folds or wrinkles and tends to blouse out away from the handle.

In the form shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper and lower edges of the fabric 1 are gathered into pleats 21 and each of the pleated edges is formed into a hem 22 constituting the circular band. The hem encloses an elastic band 23 of a length such as to cause the pleated bands to fit snugly around the handle. In this form, the side edges of the fabric may be stitched together, if desired, or they may simply be hemmed but not stitched together. The fabric tube again froms itself into loose folds or wrinkles as previously described.

In using the grip, it is placed on the handle in the manner illustrated with the top and bottom bands snugly engaging the handle. When grasped by the hands, the loose folds or wrinkles accommodate themselves to the wrinkles and conformations of the hands and as pressure is applied by the hands to the handle, the fabric folds tend to prevent slipping when the handle is wet. In fact, I have found that when using woven cotton fabric, for example, there is greater resistance to slipping when the fabric is wet than when it is dry. In using the grip, therefore, I prefer to wet the fabric before using it.

It will be understood that the elastic form of band of FIGS. 3 and 4, may, if desired, be substituted for the bottom strip 6 of FIG. 1. Or the strip 6 of FIG. 1 may be substituted for either the top or bottom elastic bands of FIG. 3 or for both of the elastic bands of FIG. 3.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a golf club handle of a slip resistant grip mounted thereon in telescoping relation therewith and extending lengthwise of said handle and covering a substantial portion thereof, said grip comprising a piece of textile-fabric formed in the shape of a tube, the top and bottom edges of said tube defining top and bottom circular bands encircling the handle snugly, the fabric between the top and bottom bands comprising a blousy tube having a circumference considerably greater than the circumference of the bands and of the handle, whereby the fabric forms loose folds or wrinkles when the handle is grasped by the hands.

2. A grip as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one of said circular bands is formed by gathering said fabric into pleats.

3. A grip as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said circular bands is attached to an elastic band.

4. A grip as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said circular bands is attached to a strip of inelastic material, and in which the ends of the strip are provided with fastener elements.

5. A grip as claimed in claim 1 in which the top circular band is attached to a cap which fits over the end of the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 959,686 Alston May 31, 1910 1,498,382 Johnston June 17, 1924 1,633,988 Jones June 28, 1927 2,534,313 Starkey Dec. 19, 1950 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A GOLF CLUB HANDLE OF A SLIP RESISTANT GRIP MOUNTED THEREON IN ELESCOPING RELATION THEREWITH AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF SAID HANDLE AND COVERING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THEREOF, SAID GRIP COMPRISING A PIECE OF TEXTILE FABRIC FORMED IN THE SHAPE OF A TUBE, THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID TUBE DEFINING TOP AND BOTTOM CIRCULAR BANDS ENCIRCLING THE HANDLE SNUGLY, THE FABRIC BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM BANDS COMPRISING A BLOUSY TUBE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENCE CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE BANDS AND OF THE HANDLE, WHEREBY THE FABRIC FORMS LOOSE FOLDS OR WRINKLES WHEN THE HANDLE IS GRASPED BY THE HANDS. 